Polar bear operated on by Barbaro doctor dies

[kskiska]

Bear had broken bones; cause of death not known

A polar bear operated on by the surgeon for Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro died just hours after surgery Monday.

Dr. Dean Richardson operated on Alcor, a 750-pound bear with two badly broken bones just above his right paw, on Monday afternoon and stabilized the wrist during surgery with locking plates.

The bear had been stable and was waking from anesthesia on his way back to Ohio when he died, the University of Pennsylvania's George D. Widener Hospital said in a statement Monday night.

(snip)

Zoo officials do not know how Alcor broke his leg, but they suspect he did it Aug. 11 while playing with his brother Mizar, another 7-year-old bear who has been at the zoo since 2001. A vet at the Cleveland Zoo put Erie Zoo officials in touch with Richardson's medical team.

more…
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/14458916/

[JoDog]

1. It's possible

that the bear panicked when he came out of the anesthesia and injured himself badly enough that he had to be put down. It's common for animals to be very disoriented in that situation. Think about...you wake up in pain someplace strange that you don't remember going too...I'd be freaked out too.

[kskiska]

2. Especially since they shipped him back to Ohio immediately

after surgery, since they had no facilities for wild animals such as a polar bear. He died on the road. Maybe if he'd have woken up someplace nicer…

[leftchick]

3. I would say Polar Bears do not belong in Zoos

except with the Arctic melting where the hell else will they live? :cry:

some very scary photos here....

http://www.time.com/time/photoessays/2006/global_warming/

[Jazz2006]

4. R.I.P. Alcor. nt